DistributionWatch Review: Red Hat Linux 6.1 - page 2

Red Hat Linux: A Mainstream Linux

December 6, 1999

By
Kevin Reichard

You can download Red Hat Linux 6.1 from the Red Hat Web site, but most users
will want to obtain it in one of the three shrink-wrap editions. All three
editions include some level of support, a boot disk, two CDs with the operating
system and the accompanying source code, a CD with StarOffice 5.1a for Linux
and Windows (it's the same format and packaging as if you'd ordered it directly
from Sun), free priority access to a dedicated customer-support FTP server and
some level of documentation.

The Standard Edition costs $29.95 and includes 30 days of access to the FTP
server, 90 days of Web-based installation support, the Installation Guide and
the Reference Guide. If you're looking for just the operating system and don't
need a lot of hand-holding or applications shipped on CD, consider this edition.

Most users, especially those moving from the Windows or MacOS worlds, will
want to consider the Deluxe Edition. For $79.95, the Deluxe Edition
bundles 180 days of access to the dedicated FTP server, 30 days of telephone
support, 90 days of Web-based installation support, a Powertools CD with over
300 applications, a Linux Application CD with over 40 third-party workstation
applications (including Applixware 4.4.2 in a time-limited version, Allaire
JRun, Flashpoint, a beta version of IBM Via Voice SDK, KAI C++, HyperWave
Information Server in a time-limited version, Magic Enterprise Server, Mathsoft
Splus, and a whole lot more), plus the Installation, Reference and
Getting Started Guides.

The Professional Edition, which goes for $149.95, includes everything in
the Deluxe Edition and adds a secure Web server, e-commerce software,
database-management software, 30 days of dedicated Apache configuration
support, an IBM DB2 CD, a CPAN archives CD, a Server Linux Application CD with
over 30 popular server applications and a Secure Web Server Guide. For a
powerful server software suite, this package is a tremendous bargain.